Rector Search Process & Timeline
A video message to the People of Good Shepherd from The Rev. Robert Childers.
Video sent via email to parish: Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Our Transition – A message from Father Robert and our Wardens
Fr. Robert, Senior Warden Jeffery Wiese, and Junior Warden Elizabeth Jones share some imminent details about Robert’s final week and the next steps in our upcoming rector search.
Click on the image above to watch the video, or click here to read the transcript.
Video distributed to parish via email and social media: Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Our Transition – Search Consultant Visits Sunday, September 8
Senior Warden Jeffery Wiese and Mother Michele Simmons invite us to come meet our Rector Search Consultant, The Rev. Canon Michael Spear-Jones, this Sunday, September 8. He will preach at the 8am and & 10:30 am services and have a Q&A forum at 9:15 am in the Library. Childcare will be available during the Q&A forum; contact Kathleen Crevasse at kathleen@gslookout.com for more information.
Click on the image above to watch the video.
Video distributed to parish via email and social media: Thursday, September 5, 2024
Our Transition – Beginning Our Search
Dear friends,
We hope you enjoyed getting to meet our search consultant, the Rev. Canon Michael Spear-Jones this past Sunday. If you were unable to attend the Q&A forum with him between the morning services, please click on the image of the video below to watch a recording of it. You may also download a transcript of the forum by clicking here.
We hope this forum helps you understand what the rector search process is like and gives you a better sense of how long it can take and why, and the level of commitment required from potential search committee members.
We will have multiple roles for people to participate in during our search, so if you do not feel called to the search committee itself, that’s ok! It will be essential to have people involved who can share their different gifts and talents.
If you would like to express your interest in participating, please click on one of the buttons below to either download a printable copy of our search interest form, or to fill it out online. Forms will also be available in the church and chapel narthexes and in the church office.
We and the rest of the Vestry will be reviewing each form at our October Vestry meeting in order to create our search committee.
Please complete your interest form by Monday, October 7, 2024.
If you complete a print form, please scan it and return it to us at wardens@gslookout.com OR mail it to the church to the attention of Wardens (211 Franklin Road, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350).
Thank you for your support and faith in our leadership. We look forward to beginning this process with everyone.
Blessings,
Jeffery Wiese, Senior Warden
Elizabeth Jones, Junior Warden
Email distributed to parish: Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Our Transition – Leadership News
Dear friends,
We are very excited to announce the next step in our transition of pastoral leadership here at Good Shepherd.
We have been working closely with Bishop Brian Cole and his team at the diocese and the bishop has recommended an innovative and bold solution that is new to the diocese: to have Mother Michele step into a special pastoral role at Good Shepherd called a “locum tenens.” In the church, the term “locum tenens” literally means to “to hold the place.” We like this definition because it points to the role Mother Michele will assume in holding the place of liturgical leadership, while also tending and caring pastorally for the people in this special place.
Bishop Brian’s recommendation of this option reflects his full faith and confidence in Good Shepherd – our health as a parish, the pastoral and sacramental leadership gifts Michele holds, the strength of our vestry to govern the church, and the talents and skills of the church staff.
Within this role, Michele will have leadership of all sacramental and pastoral programs of the church. Governance decisions will remain with the vestry and wardens, and the vestry, staff, and locum tenens will work closely and collaboratively at all times. Following Michele’s tenure as locum tenens she may return to her former service as associate priest of the parish, in consultation with the new rector who will be called.
We, the Vestry, voted unanimously to follow Bishop Brian’s recommendation because it gives us the freedom to build on the leadership relationships we’ve already cultivated and hold dear. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Mother Michele and the church staff as we all work towards calling our next rector. That collaboration includes working with you, our fellow parishioners, to form our search committee next, and get our search officially underway. We can also now focus on getting clergy help for Michele so that our services and pastoral needs are covered, and so that she can have some times of rest as she steps into this new phase of her ministry as our associate priest and locum tenens.
The locum tenens model is used in other dioceses of The Episcopal Church, and Good Shepherd is now in the position to be the first church in East Tennessee to use it as well. We believe we can and will be a great example for other churches in our diocese through God’s help and the faithful work of all of us at Good Shepherd.
We know you may have many questions about additional next steps, so do please feel free to reach out to us (wardens@gslookout.com) or Mother Michele (michele@gslookout.com), and join us this Sunday, September 29, at either the 8 am or 10:30 am services when Canon Joe Woodfin, the bishop’s “right hand man” on the diocesan staff, will be here to preach, help us celebrate this new step for Good Shepherd, and speak with you and answer your questions.
Blessings,
Jeffery Wiese & Elizabeth Jones, Wardens
The Vestry of The Church of the Good Shepherd
Email distributed to parish: Thursday, September 26, 2024
A Word from Bishop Brian Cole to the People of Good Shepherd
Bishop Brian Cole shares a special word of thanks to the people of Good Shepherd as we and Mother Michele embark on a new model for transition ministry in the diocese.
Video distributed to parish via email: Friday, October 4, 2024
Our Transition – Search Committee News
Dear friends,
We are excited to announce that the Vestry has now selected and formed our search committee for our rector search. They are nine individuals – our peers – who expressed interest in serving to represent the people of Good Shepherd.
They are (in alphabetical order):
- Peter Avisto – Co-Chair
- Margaret Anne Haley – Co-Chair
- Maddin Corey
- Martha Elder
- Anna Kent
- Scott McGinness
- Timothy Millirons
- Alfred Smith
- Jenny Tucker
We are grateful that this group has stepped forward to serve the parish in this challenging role. We know that this work will require a significant amount of their time, discernment, wisdom, and confidentiality.
As they step into this work, we ask that you join us in praying for them throughout this process, beginning with the following from the Book of Common Prayer (page 818):
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on The Church of the Good Shepherd, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The search committee will be formally charged and commissioned for their work at a forthcoming Sunday service still to be determined.
We know you may have questions about additional next steps, so do please feel free to reach out to us (wardens@gslookout.com).
Blessings,
Jeffery Wiese & Elizabeth Jones, Wardens
The Vestry of The Church of the Good Shepherd
Email distributed to parish: Tuesday, November 12, 2024